Love Her (When You Let Her Go)
by colormetheworld
Summary: JJ has a realization


It's been awhile since JJ has been able to make it to Sunday Funday. Henry's baseball team plays most weekends, or his dad has him, and she's running errands around town, trying to make sure she's prepared for the next case.

This is the first she's been able to make since the weather turned nice. The first since Emily became Unit Chief, and certainly the first since the announcement.

She pulls up to the park in the bright summer day, and scans the area where her team usually is. Yes, almost all of them are there, spread between the three or four picnic tables, coolers open on the lawn.

"Mommy!" Henry says, slapping his palms against the window. "I see Aunt Emily!"

He's works to unbuckle his seatbelt, and before she can tell him to wait for her, he's pushing the door open. Next to him, still in his booster seat, Michael lets out a whine of frustration at not being able to follow his brother.

Well, so much for making a low key entry, she thinks, jumping out of the driver's seat and opening the back door to release her youngest son. He hurtles after Henry, whose long legs have already carried him halfway to the field where the BAU has set up.

"Auntie Emily!" she hears him cry when he gets close enough.

Emily had been standing, talking to Alvez, but at the sound of her name, she turns, and JJ can clearly see the excitement written on her face as she drops to the ground to embrace him. Michael reaches them a few seconds later and throws himself at Emily too, knocking all three of them to the ground. JJ feels a little lump in her throat, and she slows her steps, trying to give it time to dissipate. She hadn't thought about the effect that seeing less of Emily might have on her kids.

After the announcement, she'd only been able to focus on her immediate needs. And her immediate need was to put distance between them.

So Michael and Henry had gone from seeing Emily every week, to sometimes not even once in a month. She tries to think of the last time Michael saw her, as she watches Emily measure his height against her own. She can't come up with the memory.

"Hey, JJ," Spencer calls, and several heads turn to look at her as she approaches, Tara included. She smiles and waves, and makes her way over to Emily, who is now introducing her sons to Luke.

"So, he's part of the team now too?" Michael asks. His tone holds the feeling that he's not going to trust Alvez until Emily says so.

She nods. "Yep. He's an agent, like me and your mom."

Michael sizes Alvez up for a brief moment. "You as good at helping people as Emily is?" he asks finally.

Alvez grins. "Not sure that's possible, kid." he says seriously.

This seems to satisfy Michael. he turns to his mother. "Em says there's popsicles. Jack brought them. Can we have one? Can we play?"

JJ nods. "Just no running with the popsicles in your mouths!" she calls after them as they make a beeline towards Jack and Hotch. Emily gets to her feet, brushing grass from her knees.

"They tackled you pretty good there," JJ says with a chuckle.

Emily beams at her. "Michael is so big, JJ!" she says, as excited as if he were her own. "It's been ages since I've seen him."

"Yeah," she says, unable to stop her own smile from widening. "And Henry's almost as tall as I am, did you see?"

"He is going to be a heartbreaker," Emily says. "For sure."

JJ had promised herself that she would not engage more than she had to with this woman, her new unit chief, but she can't help herself. Emily's smile is infectious, and she seems genuinely happy to see JJ and her family.

"It's great that Hotch came," JJ says, watching as Jack hugs first Henry, and then Michael.

"Yes," Emily's smile is slower this time. "I was worried he wouldn't to come…after…everything. But this is his family," she looks at JJ, dark eyes searching. "No matter what."  
...

 _"We could make it work. We could figure it out."_

 _"Emily, I-"_

 _"I love Henry, and you know I love you. And we're a team. No, more than that. We're a family, and Hotch wouldn't let anything separate us."_

 _"Politically. This isn't political. This is…this is…"_

 _"Bigger. It's bigger and better, Jen! I'm so in love with you. And if this is what we want then we shouldn't let any-"_

 _"I'm taking Will back."_

 _"You're…what?"_

 _"I'm going back to will, Emily. I…love him."_

 _"No you don't."_

 _"Yes I-"_

 _"No! You might not be in love with me, Jennifer, but don't go back to Will just because you're scared. Don't run back to him just because you're running_ _ **from**_ _me."_

 _"That's not fair."_

 _"There are a lot of things happening right now that aren't fair."_

 _...  
_  
"JJ?"

Emily is still talking to her, and she blinks a couple times, trying to dispel the memory that's gotten stuck on a loop in her head.

Emily's face that day, when she'd left.

The way she hadn't gone to the airport with the rest of the team to say good-bye.

Penelope's expression, when she realized that JJ wouldn't accompany her on her trip to visit Emily in London.

"Sorry," she says. "I spaced out a little."

Emily's eyes does not convey the gentle understanding that JJ would expect in this situation. She smiles, genuine and bright, and gestures toward their picnic tables, mounded with food.

"You hungry? I think Walker closed down his local grocery store. There's enough food over there to feed a nation."

JJ laughs. "You haven't seen my kids mow through a picnic yet, then," she answers. "I honestly don't know where they put it all."

Emily chuckles, and JJ is so caught up in just looking at her, that she doesn't notice Tara Lewis until she's slipping an arm around Emily's waist.

"Hey, JJ!" Tara says.

JJ forces the smile to stay on her face. Tara always acts so happy to see her, and there is no way that it can be genuine.

"Hey Tara," she answers, knowing that her voice has fallen into the one she uses for the press. "How are you?"

"Good," Tara says, her smile not fading. "It's such a nice day for this."

JJ nods. She glances at Emily, trying to see in her face how she feels about Tara's arm around her middle. Does she wish, unconsciously, that it was JJ's? Does she understand how possessive it makes Dr. Lewis look?

They are joined quickly by Rossi and Garcia, and though both hug JJ, and express their excitement at seeing her, she can't help but feel that they have come over specifically to run interference.

But Tara does not remove her arm from around Emily's waist. What's more confusing is that Emily does not even seem to mind. At one point, she says something sarcastic and witty that makes the rest of them laugh (JJ a little late), and Tara's hand strokes up her back.

Fucking controlling, JJ thinks.

She would never treat Emily like that.

"Auntie Emily!" Michael calls from the field. "Come play with us!"

Emily looks at JJ with such open hopefulness, that JJ almost wells up. "Go on," she says, "of course."

Emily shoots a lopsided grin at Tara, and then jogs over to the boys. They exchange a couple of sentences, and then Henry turns back to the adults.

"Aunt Tara!" he calls, "Come too!"

Tara's face goes blank with shock, and Penelope has to nudge her several times before she turns and heads out to where the little group is waiting for her.

Penelope clasps her hands together. "They are soooo cute, JJ. And so tall!"

JJ tries to shake off the sour feeling she gets watching her sons play with Emily and Tara like they are a little family.

"Thanks," she says. "They begged to come. I couldn't say no."

Penelope looks at her a little oddly, but doesn't comment. They make small talk for a while longer, JJ always keeping one eye on the foursome out in the field, until Alvez calls Penelope over for her opinion on something.

It leaves her alone with Rossi. JJ glances at him, and then away, sighing.

"She looks good," she says. She doesn't know what's made her say this out loud, but Rossi doesn't looks surprised. He also doesn't ask who they are talking about.

"She _is_ good," Rossi says. "If you came to more than one of these a month, you'd know."

He says it so gently, that she barely registers it as a reprimand.

Out on the field, Henry launches his whole body at Emily, tackling her. JJ smiles as they both fall down, giggling madly.

"It's good to see him laugh like that," she says. "He's been having a rough time with Will heading back to New Orleans."

Michael leaps at Tara, wanting to join in the fun, and Tara catches him gamely, swinging him around for a bit before dropping him down onto Emily's chest.

"JJ," Rossi begins, pulling in a breath the way he does when he has something important to say.

"No," JJ shakes her head. "Don't say it."

Rossi raises his eyebrows. "You don't know what I'm going to say," he says with a smirk.

"Yes I do," she replies. "You're going to tell me that it could be me out there with Emily, and that I let the best woman in the world get away, and now it's too late." She looks around to see that Dave is laughing. "What?" she asks, slightly irritated.

"I was going to ask you if you thought the reason you don't like Dr. Lewis was because you're upset that Emily has moved on." His smirk widens. "But perhaps I need to reassess my ideas about who is over whom."

JJ frowns, unsure whether she's mostly embarrassed, or mostly angry for being caught.

"That was unkind," she says grudgingly.

Dave pretends to look hurt. "I told you that you didn't know what I was going to say." He argues.

She shakes her head, smiling despite herself, and they are silent for a while, watching as Tara and Emily make their way to the picnic table laden with food.

Rossi has been watching too, and as they get closer, he lifts his chin to indicate that JJ should look more closely.

"Watch," he says quietly.

JJ watches as Tara creates a food plate. Emily has gotten held up, talking with Alvez. JJ can see that the conversation is about work, just from the way Emily's shoulders tense slightly. Her expression of easy friendliness hasn't changed, though JJ knows that Emily's hands in her pockets are clenched into nervous fists.

Alvez finally lets her go, saying something that makes her laugh, and when she turns back to the food, Tara is there, offering her the plate she's made.

Tara's mouth moves over the words, "I made you this."

JJ looks at Emily, and is startled by her expression.

"Tara makes her a plate of food every time we do this," Rossi says quietly. "When we go out for drinks, Tara orders her favorite every time. And every single time, Emily reacts like that," Rossi says.

JJ watches Emily take the plate hesitantly, as though it is a gift she does not fully believe she deserves. Tara leans forward to kiss Emily's cheek, her hand coming again to the small of the brunette's back.

And JJ realizes for the first time, that this gesture is not about possession.

But comfort.

…  
 _"You're leaving?"_

 _"Interpol offered-"_

 _"Interpol! Interpol?! This is the same Interpol you said nearly took your life? The same that you said you'd have to be half dead to go back to a job like that? That Interpol?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"So. That's it? You're just going to bail? You're going to leave the little boy you profess to care about? Henry is going to be devastated, Emily."_

 _"Henry."_

 _"Yes! Henry. My son? Forgetting him already?"_

 _"I came round to see you this past weekend."_

 _"You…what?"_

 _"We'd planned to take Henry to the Planetarium."_

 _"Oh…shit, Emily. I totally forgot. With the case, and everything going on…I'm so-"_

 _"Will told me where you were, Jen."_

 _"He…told you?"_

 _"Yeah. He thought I knew, since we're 'best friends.'"_

 _"Fuck. Emily. Listen, I was going to tell you. I just…I didn't…I didn't know how."_

 _"Is it a boy or a girl? Did you find out?"_

 _"…a boy."_

 _"Should I have told Will that I might be the father? He has a right to know, after all."_

 _"Jesus, Emily!"_

 _"Oh, that upsets you? It upsets you that I could be so, so what, petty as to try and break up your family by telling your husband you're cheating on him."_

 _"We didn't mean what happened."_

 _"Which time? And maybe you didn't, although that's not what you said when you were underneath me."_

 _"I…was drunk. I didn't really think about what was happening until it was too late to…No! Emily, that's not what I meant. Fuck. Emily. I didn't mean that you-"_

 _"I'm in love with you, JJ. So much so, that every time you show up at my apartment, I'm going to leap at the chance to be with you. Do you get that? It doesn't matter what you do to me. If you show up tonight, I'll hold you until you leave, regardless of the fact that you just accused me of taking advantage of you."_

 _"I didn't meant that."_

 _"I am half dead. That's what I said I'd have to be to take an Interpol job, and that's what I am. I've tried so hard to get over you. To be your friend. But you make it impossible."_

 _"Please don't leave me."_

 _"I could say the same thing to you."_

 _"I love you."_

 _"Then be with me. Be with me, Jennifer. Please."_

 _"I…can't."  
_ …

Their work does not slip. In fact, with Emily as their unit chief, along with the three new additions to the team, JJ thinks that their work is better than ever. This does not help her to overcome her discomfort with Tara and Emily's relationship, however. Nor does it ease the endless churn of jealousy in her stomach when she sees them together.

On the cases, it is easier. No one looking in at the team from the outside would be able to tell that the two are together. Emily is the absolute picture of perfection, and she leaves no room for anyone else to act differently.

She is nearly crushed in a silo full of grain in Washington.

She catches three bullets to the vest in Montana.

Tara doesn't blink.

Alvez idolizes her, and Walker defers to her with an air that is half grudging, half awed.

Rossi settles into something like a second in command and a wise godfather. Sometimes, on the jet, they sit together in the back of the plane over a game of chess, eyes locked on the board, murmuring to each other about the outcome of the case.

In Mississippi, one of the police officers they are working with flirts with JJ so aggressively, that she considers reporting him to his superior. But she doesn't get the chance. The officer grazes her butt in the elevator the next day, in what he clearly thinks is a discreet, playful manner, and before JJ can even turn around, Emily has punched the emergency stop button, and has the young man pinned against the back wall.

"Do you think sexual harassment is funny?" she growls.

The officer is probably fifteen years her junior, and he goes pale at her tone. Even JJ has to admit that it is truly threatening.

"N-n-no ma'am," he stutters. He is two inches shorter than she is in her heels, and he glances up at her, terrified.

"Do you think that it is appropriate, while we are hunting an unsub who sodomizes pregnant women with a sawed off shotgun, to grope on of my agents?"

If possible, the young man turns a faint shade of green. "I-I-I wasn't groping."

Emily's eyes flash dangerously. "You think I didn't see you?" she growls. "Or do you think you own the body of a federal agent simply because she happens to be an attractive woman."

The officer doesn't answer. It would be unwise to admit to either of those things.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. He sounds near tears.

"You owe Agent Jareau an apology. Not me," Emily says, and just as quickly as it has come, her anger is dispelled. She steps back and releases the emergency latch, and the elevator jumps to life again.

"I'm very sorry, Agent Jareau," the officer says, not quite making eye contact.

JJ only nods.

She wants to press Emily back against the elevator and kiss her neck. She wants to tell her that when they case is over, they are going to spend _days_ in bed together.

But as they step out into the bullpen, and the boy practically runs away from them, Emily smirks at her, and then heads down the hall.

That is when JJ realizes that not only is Emily is not hers any longer, but she belongs to someone else.

She belongs to Dr. Tara Lewis.

That is when JJ realizes that to Emily, she is her friend and her colleague, and nothing else.

They find the unsub in nearly record time. A woman, as it turns out, who has lost child after child to miscarriages, was targeting other women she deemed unworthy of carrying children.

The case hits JJ hard, and when the paper work is finally done, she stumbles half seeing to her car, intent only on going home to hold her sons.

Tara's BMW is four spaces down from hers in the garage, a fact that she didn't realize when she parked that morning, but as she gets into the driver's seat, she looks over to see her unit chief and the team psychologist locked together in the front seat.

They are kissing, Emily straddling Tara, with her arms around her neck and Tara's fingers buried in Emily's dark hair.

They kiss, and kiss, and kiss, and in between each one, when Emily pulls back, Tara murmurs something into the space before their lips touch again.

And then, very suddenly, Emily collapses, her head dropping to Tara's shoulder. It takes JJ a startled, panicky minute to realize that she is crying. She is crying, and Tara is not annoyed, or uncomfortable, or even upset herself.

She rubs up Emily's back and then back down, kissing the curve of her neck, saying more things.

Emily holds tighter.

…  
 _"JJ! JJ…I need to speak to you. Agent Jareau!"_

 _"Dr. Lewis, I'm in a bit a bit of a hurry and I-"_

 _"Bullshit. You don't have anywhere to be because we're all out an hour ahead of schedule. I have to talk to you, and you need to hear what I'm going to say."_

 _"I don't-"_

 _"If you care about your team as much as you say you do, then stop walking and listen to me!"_

 _"…Happy?"_

 _"Do you want me to resign from the BAU?"_

 _"What?"_

 _"I know that you were essentially strong armed into agreeing to allow my relationship with Emily. I'm asking if you want me to resign."_

 _"You wouldn't anyway, so what does it matter what I want?"_

 _"I would. If you could promise me that it would fix whatever's going on with you."_

 _"Nothing's going on with me!"_

 _"For a profiler, you are a shitty liar. You hate the idea of me with Emily. You hate the fact that we are a couple. That we've been a couple, and that's why you haven't been able to sleep with her for the past two months."_

 _"How do you know I haven't?"_

 _"I know because Emily would tell me. She promised to tell me if she did. So I'm asking you, if I resign from the BAU, will you stop acting like your life is over? Don't deny it, JJ, just answer the question."_

 _"I…you'd just leave her like that?"_

 _"Leave who?"_

 _"Emily. She means that little to you, that you'd just walk away from her because of me?"_

 _"Who said anything about leaving Emily?"_

 _"You said you'd resign-"_

 _"From the team, Jennifer! I'm not breaking up with Emily. This team is the most important thing in the world to her, and watching it fall apart while she's in charge? Thinking that it's her fault? It's tearing her to pieces."_

 _"And you think that it's because of you? Someone has a high opinion of themselves."_

 _"…Jennifer-"_

 _"DON'T CALL ME THAT."_

 _"JJ. Do you really not see that if this tension keeps on, neither one of us will win?"_

 _"I don't know what you're talking about."_

 _"If the team dynamic gets thrown off so badly that we're split up. Emily leaves me, yes…but do you think she'll just fall into your arms afterwards? You think she won't hold all three of us responsible for the destruction of the only family she's ever known? You think she won't put the most blame on herself? I thought you knew her better than that."_

 _"…You don't deserve her."_

 _"Says the woman who used to sleep with her and then sneak out in the morning to go back to her husband."_

 _"Fuck you, Tara. It's much more complicated than that."_

 _"Is it? Then explain to me why you stood her up after she came back to help with the Peterson case."_

 _"I…she told-"_

 _"That's the night I kissed her for the first time."_

 _"What?"_

 _"She waited for you for three hours, did you know that? She looked…God, she looked amazing. So beautiful. I told myself to walk away, but it's like my feet wouldn't listen. We talked for an hour or so, and then, out on the street…I just…I couldn't help myself."_

 _"She waited?"_

 _"For three hours. Almost four. And out on the street, she hesitated before stepping up to get a cab, and I kissed her. That's how it started. So tell me, what was so complicated that night that you stood her up? That you couldn't even call."_

 _"I…Will and I got into a fight…I didn't think...God, Emily."_

 _"JJ. If this team breaks up, it will destroy her. If you love her, if you care about her at all, please don't let what she has here die."_

 _...  
..._

She shows up at Emily's apartment after midnight, and when Emily opens the door she's dressed in a loose tank top and spandex shorts. Her hair is down and a little messy and JJ wants her so badly it's like a stomach ache.

"Shit, you are so gorgeous."

This does not make Emily smile. "Jen," she says a little sadly, "what are you doing here?" It's not really a question.

"Will has the boys until Sunday," she says moving forward. "My house is empty."

Emily looks torn about letting her in, but ultimately steps back to admit her.

"You've been drinking," she says softly, following JJ into her kitchen. "Did you drive here?"

"I'm fine," JJ says, though even as the words leave her mouth, she's unsure if they are true. The alcohol from the last three hours seems to be catching up to her very quickly. "It's not like you'd care anyway."

Emily turns from the sink with a glass of water. "Drink this."

JJ takes the glass, but notices that Emily's fingers do not come in contact with hers. "So, where is the wonderful doctor tonight?" she asks, feeling the anger bubble up past the haze of alcohol. "You two aren't taking advantage of the four day weekend?"

"We are," Emily says simply.

"But not tonight?" JJ presses. "Tonight you're free?"

"No."

JJ runs a hand through her hair. Her skin feels hot. "Is the sex with her as good as it was with me?" she hears herself ask.

"It's different," Emily says evenly.

"Which means no," she says, aware that this is both mean and pathetic.

Emily blinks. "It means different," she says slowly. "Look, Jen-"

"I miss you, Emily. I miss touching you. I miss kissing you. Don't you miss me?"

Emily sighs. "I don't miss you. You're right here."

"I mean our relationship."

"We didn't have a relationship, Jennifer. We had sex."

"Amazing sex," JJ says, taking the chance and closing the distance between them.

"It was not enough for me," Emily says. "And now I'm not available."

"She wouldn't care," JJ puts her hand over Emily's on the counter. "She basically told me as much once."

This makes Emily tense, and JJ moves a little closer. "Emmy," she murmurs. "I could stay the night."

"You're drunk," Emily says, though there is a tremor in her voice. "You can stay, JJ, but in the guest room, ok?" She pulls her hand away from JJ's, and slides it through her hair.

"So that's it?" JJ asks, feeling anger prick at the backs of her eyes. "We're over?"

"We never were," Emily says, looking at her wide eyed. "You married someone even though I begged you to be with me. And now that I'm giving you what I thought you wanted, just being your friend, you're telling me _that's_ not enough either." She shakes her head. "I don't want to lose you," she whispers. "But I...I really care about Tara. And she-"

"She doesn't know you like I do, Em. She doesn't know everything you've been through. How strong you are." Emily starts to turn away, and JJ feels herself panic. "Does she know about Italy?" she calls. Does she know about your abortion, Emily?"

Emily freezes.

For a long moment, she just stands with her back to JJ, head bent. Then, she tilts her head to the left, and her profile is the sharpest, most beautiful thing JJ has ever seen.

"Well," Emily says, and there's no mistaking the tremor in her voice. "She knows now."

With that, she walks out of the kitchen, and when JJ stumbles after her into the living room, she sees that Tara Lewis is sitting cross legged on the couch. Her head is bowed, her hands pressed together and against her mouth, like she's praying. She's staring straight ahead. At nothing.

…

…

 _"Oh shit. God, yes. right there. Emmy that feels so good. You're going to make me come."_

 _"Yeah. I'm there too, love. You can let go. Come on, Jen. Come for me, baby."_

 _"Oh shit. Oh, oh, Yes! I love you! Yes! I love you so much. Fuck! Don't stop! Don't stop...Em!_

 _"S-sorry. I...love you too, Jen. Jesus I-"_

 _"Ohhh God, Yes. Yes, that's so good. God, yes. Ohhh, fuck, Em. That was so good._

 _"...I...Jen?"_

 _"Hold me until I have to go, baby. Damn, those fingers. You should insure them."_

 _"Jennifer?"_

 _"Mmmm. Emily."_

 _"I love you."_

 _"Mmmm."_

…

…

It is Tara who pushes the door to the guest room open the next morning, stepping all the way in and shutting the door when she sees that JJ is awake.

"If you're going to kill me, can you bash my brains in?" JJ asks through her hands. "My hangover is massive."

Tara raises an eyebrow, but produces a bottle of water, and holds it out.

"Ah," JJ says, too thirsty to refuse. "It's going to be death by humiliation in the face of undeserved graciousness."

"You fucking hurt her like that again and I'll pull every string I can and call in every single favor to have you committed to the worst facility I can find," Tara snarls. "For all eternity. Get it?"

So. Not quite graciousness, then. "Yeah," JJ says.

"You left her, JJ. Every time. You stood her up, and you used her, and you made her believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that her only value in a relationship was a sexual one. Last night, you insinuated that I do not love her, and you outed one of her deepest secrets and fears."

"I didn't know you were here," JJ says into her hands.

She'd seen them, last night, when she'd stumbled by Emily's room to the guest room. Emily was naked, in Tara's arms, back to the door.

Her hair was down, head thrown back, and her face was relaxed into the expression of post-orgasm bliss that JJ would recognize anywhere. Tara was bent forward, kissing along her throat, and chest. Her eyes were open, fixed on Emily's face, watchful and attentive.

JJ stood, transfixed, as Emily's hands came to Tara's hair, desperate.

"Please," She'd whimpered, eyes still shut tight. "God, please. Please. I can't help myself."

"Shhh, honey," Tara said between kisses. "Shh. I'm here. That was so beautiful. You are so beautiful and you deserve to feel like that all the time."

In the dim light from the bedside light, JJ watched as a tear slipped from Emily's eye. "Please." she murmured, half asleep, but still holding on. "Please stay."

"Right here, baby. You're not alone."

 _You're not alone._

"I never made her come," she says out loud. "Not...like...you do."

Tara doesn't react.

"I mean. I let her...I mean. I never-"

"Held her after. Never told her you were there. Always fell asleep first."

"I'm sorry," JJ says softly. "I just. She's never let me down. She's never turned me away. Watching her with you feels like...I'm losing the only thing I thought I could count on."

Tara sighs deeply, and JJ feels the bed dip as she sits on the end. "If you were in love with her, JJ, I'd understand and respect you continuing to fight for her. But you're not in love with her. And I am. And she deserves that."

JJ nods. "She's my best friend. She makes me feel safe. She's just...she's always there."

"You will always be safe with her. She wouldn't have it any other way. You can show up here drunk, and she will let you sleep in the guest room, and then get up early to make sure you have a good breakfast."

JJ looks up, surprised, and Tara smiles at her. "You're her best friend. I'm okay with that. And I can recognize that you two care about each other...while also being almost sick with jealousy that you've had her."

JJ laughs, but she sobers as more of the night comes back to her.

"Will she forgive me? Jesus, I said some fucked up things last night."

"She'll come around," a voice says from the door.

JJ spins, as Tara nearly jumps out of her skin.

"Jesus, woman!"

Emily grins. "Pancakes are ready."

"Oh my God," JJ groans, rolling towards the side of the bed. "Tara, have you ever had Emily's pancakes? They are so good." She slides by Emily into the hall. "I'll be down in a sec. I'm just going to use the bathroom."

She turns away, but she still hears it when Emily asks, voice small and hopeful, "You're in love with me?"

"God yes," Tara says. "I want to wake up with you for the rest of my life."

JJ smiles as she pulls the door of the bathroom shut.

When she comes out, Emily is leaning against the wall, signature smirk on her face.

"Emily Prentiss," JJ says stepping up to her. "I am so sorry about last night. You are my best friend in the whole world, and I hope one day you will feel as safe with me as I have always felt with you."

Emily's smile breaks open.

She pulls JJ into a hug, tighter than the one they shared when she returned from London.

When they part, JJ can see in the other woman's face that they are not back to normal yet.

But they will be.

"Come on," Emily says, heading for the stairs. "Tara's down there already, and she's worse about sharing the syrup than you are."

JJ rolls her eyes. "Not possible," she calls, but she hurries after the brunette just the same.


End file.
